Tariffs are taxes that will hurt the US economy and make us less competitive with China. The USMCA — negotiated by President Trump — is the best trade deal in our country’s history. We should build on it.
As a result of USMCA China is no longer our top trading partner. Rather, Mexico is number one and Canada is right behind.
And Texas as the top export state for 23 years (who’s counting?) has richly benefited.
We build things together.
US consumers rely on fresh, affordable produce and energy from Canada and Mexico. Not to mention well made cars and household consumer items.
This may be too much information but I started my day with avocado toast where the avocados were from Mexico, the tomatoes from Canada and the bread and cheese from the US.
I completely agree with the goals of the Trump Administration to stop illegal migration and to stop fentanyl from entering the US.
By any account Mexico and Canada are doing more than ever to help meet these objectives. It’s in all three nation’s interest to work together without wrecking #USMCA.
My comments in today’s Austin Statesman:
"Texas needs a strong North America, and North America needs a strong Texas, especially as we continue to compete with an ascendant China. To do so, we must keep North America tariff-free and identify ways to reduce non-tariff barriers to continue attracting investment and moving supply chains closer to home — particularly to the Texas-Mexico border region, which has seen enormous growth due to nearshoring efforts in recent years."
"Introducing unpredictability and new financial burdens within the North American economy would not bring down the price of groceries or gas and would likely only exacerbate the runaway inflation we saw under the previous administration.”
Editor's Note: The above commentary was provided by Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, on his social media platforms. The TAB recently launched Texas Leads Trade, a coalition uniting business leaders to reinforce Texas’ status as the nation’s top trading state and strengthen North America’s economic ties.
